Plasterer&#39;s float and trowel



April 7,, 1942. I STABBERT 2,278,803

PLASTERER'S FLOAT AND TROWEL Filed Jan. 18, 1940 ATTORNEY Patented Apr.7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT 1 OFFlCE 2,278,803 PLASTERERS FLOAT ANDTROWEL" Edward Stabbert, Tacoma, Application January 18, 1940, SerialNo. 314,397 1 Claim. (01. 72 f 13 s f The present invention relates toimprovements in plasterers floats and trowels, and constitutes animprovement upon the float disclosed in my co-pending application,Serial Number 209.434 filed May 23, 1938.

The said pending application pertain to and covers a form of trowelhaving a perfectly flat steel base with an integral flange extendedalong one side margin perpendicularly to the base, the said flangecomprising straight end portions meeting centrally in a slight,outstanding obtuse angle, for the purposes stated in that application.

While the trowel of that application serves well its intended purpose,it i necessary to construct the same of thin and somewhat flexible steelin order that the free or unflanged side have the desired degree offlexibility in use, so as not to scuff or scrape the surface of thework. This thinness of material makes it necessary in turn to brace theside or angle flange from the handle, as shown in the other application.

Moreover, in the use of such single flanged or single wing angle trowel,it become necessary for the plasterer in working from one side of a roomto the other, to lay his trowel upon the hawk in order to reverse it foruse at the opposite corners, this constituting an objection to the useof that form of trowel, in the mind of some operators.

It is the prime purpose of the present invention therefore to provide aform of trowel overcoming the foregoing objections to the form of trowelpresented in the co-pending application, while preserving itsadvantages.

Another object is to provide a trowel or float made of an oblong pieceof sheetsteel or other suitable material, of such thickness as to besubstantially inflexible and resistant to strain without bracing,dimensioned to the desired size, having opposed side wings or angleflanges turned upwardly along both sides of the base or blade of thetool, the base itself being slightly convexed, transversely on its underor working face to prevent scufling of the work, the side flanges beingturned slightly outward for the same purpose and to facilitate angleWork, and having a suitable handle mounted at its upper side.

With the foregoing objects in view, with such other objects andadvantages as may appear from the specification, a preferred embodimentof' the invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawing as a part ofthe-specification, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a trowel or float embodying myimprovements.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of one end of a modified form of trowel, showingthe base and side wings slightly drawn in or tapered.

The trowel as made in accordance with my invention and representedgenerally at 5 in the drawing, comprises a rectangular blade, base orwork plate 6 and opposed side flanges or angle wings I turned upwardlyalong the sides of the base. The base and flanges are preferably formedintegrally of a single piece of sheet steel or other suitable material.However the flanges may be separately formed and attached if desired,and in any event they are preferably beveled off at their outer ends, asshown at 8 to facilitate use of the tool. A conventional or any desiredform of handle 9 is medially mounted on the upper face of the base orblade 6, by means of screws It passed up through the base into the endsof the handle, the heads of the screws being counter-sunk flushly intothe under or Working face of the base, as shown at l2. The whole tool isof course of conventional or any desired size, and is usually oblong asto the base.

In accordance with my invention the base or blade 6 and flanges I are asstated formed of sheet steel or other suitable material, and of suchthickness or temper as to be relatively stiff and inflexible againstpressure or strain. The under or working face of the base 6 is slightlyarcuate, arched or convexed transversely of its long axis, as indicatedat 611 in Figure 2, in comparison withthe straight dotted line l3. Theside flanges or angle wings I are turned or tipped slightly outward fromthe base, as indicated at la, in comparison with the dotted line l4extended perpendicularly to the. line [3, as shown, at the right angleI5. Of course, if made of uniform sheet material, the upper side of thebase would be correspondingly arcuate or concaved, as indicated at 6b incomparison with the dotted line It extending parallel with the line I3.This curve of the upper side of the blade is a structural resulthowever, and is relatively unimportant.

If desired the ends of the base 6 at the under face may be beveled offslightly, orlthe ends slightly upturned as indicatedat 6a, to preventscuffing the work on endwise movement of the tool. Also the ends of thetool, including the base 6 and wings I, may be slightly drawn in ortapered as shown at la in Figure 3, for the same purpose.

the workman having to reverse it. The ccnvexed working face of the baseor blade enables it to be smoothly drawn or floated over the wall beingplastered, without scuffing or gouging the surface a of the work. Theoutward tip of the side wings or flanges with their beveled ends orcomers enables the tool to be smoothly and efficiently and smoothlyoperated in the wall or ceiling corners a and angles, and to shape thesecorners correctly,

without scraping, gouging or roughening the work, as will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in this art.

While I have here shown and described a particular embodiment of theinvention, and have described specific structural features thereof, thesame may be changed or modified as found desirable, within the scope ofthe claim.

Iclaimu In a trowel, an oblong work blade slightly arched across itsworking face on its narrow dimension, the extremities of the base beingslightly upturnedand tapered inwardly at the sides to prevent scam-fithe work, and flanges extended .angularly upward and outward along thetwo opposite straight sides of the base, the ends of the flanges beingbeveled of! to facilitate working in ,co rners.

EDWARD STABBERT.

